puritan

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: pu=ri=tan

CIDE DICTIONARY

puritan, n. [From Purity.].

•  One who, in the time of Queen Elizabeth and the first two Stuarts, opposed traditional and formal usages, and advocated simpler forms of faith and worship than those established by law; -- originally, a term of reproach. The Puritans formed the bulk of the early population of New England.  [1913 Webster]

  " The Puritans were afterward distinguished as Political Puritans, Doctrinal Puritans, and Puritans in Discipline."  Hume.  [1913 Webster]
•  One who is scrupulous and strict in his religious life; -- often used reproachfully or in contempt; one who has overstrict notions.  [1913 Webster]

  "She would make a puritan of the devil."  [1913 Webster]

puritan, a. 

 Of or pertaining to the Puritans; resembling, or characteristic of, the Puritans.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

puritan, n. & adj.
--n.
1 (Puritan) hist. a member of a group of English Protestants who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.
2 a purist member of any party.
3 a person practising or affecting extreme strictness in religion or morals.
--adj.
1 hist. of or relating to the Puritans.
2 scrupulous and austere in religion or morals.

Derivative

puritanism n.

Etymology

LL puritas (as PURITY) after earlier Catharan (as CATHAR)

THESAURUS

puritan

Albigensian, Catharist, Franciscan, Grundy, Sabbatarian, Trappist, Victorian, Waldensian, abstainer, anchorite, ascetic, austere, bhikshu, bigoted, bluenose, dervish, disapproving, dour, fakir, fanatic, firm, flagellant, fundamentalist, goody-goody, hard, hard-line, hard-nosed, hermit, hidebound, impliable, inexorable, inflexible, intolerant, iron, ironbound, ironclad, ironhanded, mendicant, mid-Victorian, moralistic, muscle-bound, narrow-minded, obdurate, obstinate, old maid, orthodox, pietist, pietistic, prig, prim, procrustean, proper, prude, prudish, purist, puristic, puritanic, puritanical, relentless, religionist, rigid, rigorist, rigoristic, rigorous, rockbound, sannyasi, severe, stern, stiff, stiff-necked, straightlaced, strait-laced, straitlaced, strict, stubborn, stuffy, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, uptight, yogi, yogin, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

puritan

Heterodoxy

N heterodoxy, error, false doctrine, heresy, schism, schismaticism, schismaticalness, recusancy, backsliding, apostasy, atheism, bigotry, fanaticism, iconoclasm, hyperorthodoxy, precisianism, bibliolatry, sabbatarianism, puritanism, anthropomorphism, idolatry, superstition, dissent, sectarism, sectarianism, noncomformity, secularism, syncretism, protestantism, Arianism, Adventism, Jansenism, Stundism, Erastianism, Calvinism, quakerism, methodism, anabaptism, Puseyism, tractarianism, ritualism, Origenism, Sabellianism, Socinianism, Deism, Theism, materialism, positivism, latitudinarianism High Church, Low Church, Broad Church, Free Church, ultramontanism, papism, papistry, monkery, papacy, Anglicanism, Catholicism, Romanism, popery, Scarlet Lady, Church of Rome, Greek Church, paganism, heathenism, ethicism, mythology, polytheism, ditheism, tritheism, dualism, heathendom, Judaism, Gentilism, Islamism, Islam, Mohammedanism, Babism, Sufiism, Neoplatonism, Turcism, Brahminism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sabianism, Gnosticism, Hylotheism, Mormonism, Christian Science, heretic, apostate, antichrist, pagan, heathen, painim, paynim, giaour, gentile, pantheist, polytheist, idolator, schismatic, sectary, sectarian, sectarist, seceder, separatist, recusant, dissenter, nonconformist, nonjuror, bigot, fanatic, abdal, iconoclast, latitudinarian, Deist, Theist, Unitarian, positivist, materialist, Homoiousian, Homoousian, limitarian, theosophist, ubiquitarian, skeptic, Protestant, Huguenot, orthodox dissenter, Congregationalist, Independent, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Calvinist, Methodist, Wesleyan, Ana, Baptist, Mormon, Latter-day Saint, Irvingite, Sandemanian, Glassite, Erastian, Sublapsarian, Supralapsarian, Gentoo, Antinomian, Swedenborgian, Adventist, Bible Christian, Bryanite, Brownian, Christian Scientist, Dunker, Ebionite, Eusebian, Faith Curer, Curist, Familist, Jovinianist, Libadist, Quaker, Restitutionist, Shaker, Stundist, Tunker, ultramontane, Anglican, Oxford School, tractarian, Puseyite, ritualist, Puritan, Catholic, Roman, Catholic, Romanist, papist, Jew, Hebrew, Rabbinist, Rabbist, Sadducee, Babist, Motazilite, Mohammedan, Mussulman, Moslem, Shiah, Sunni, Wahabi, Osmanli, Brahmin, Brahman, Parsee, Sufi, Buddhist, Magi, Gymnosophist, fire worshiper, Sabian, Gnostic, Rosicrucian, heterodox, heretical, unorthodox, unscriptural, uncanonical, antiscriptural, apocryphal, unchristian, antichristian, schismatic, recusant, iconoclastic, sectarian, dissenting, dissident, secular, (lay), pagan, heathen, heathenish, ethnic, ethnical, gentile, paynim, pantheistic, polytheistic, Judaical, Mohammedan, Brahminical, Buddhist, Romish, Protestant, bigoted superstitious, fanatical, idolatrous, visionary, slave to no sect, superstitione tollenda religio non tollitur.

Impiety

N impiety, sin, irreverence, profaneness, profanity, profanation, blasphemy, desecration, sacrilege, scoffing, hypocrisy, pietism, cant, pious fraud, lip devotion, lip service, lip reverence, misdevotion, formalism, austerity, sanctimony, sanctimoniousness, pharisaism, precisianism, sabbatism, sabbatarianism, odium theologicum, sacerdotalism, bigotry blue laws, hardening, backsliding, declension, perversion, reprobation, sinner, scoffer, blasphemer, sacrilegist, sabbath breaker, worldling, hypocrite, Tartufe, Mawworm, bigot, saint, Pharisee, sabbatarian, formalist, methodist, puritan, pietist, precisian, religionist, devotee, ranter, fanatic, juramentado, the wicked, the evil, the unjust, the reprobate, sons of men, sons of Belial, the wicked one, children of darkness, impious, irreligious, desecrating, profane, irreverent, sacrilegious, blasphemous, un-hallowed, un-sanctified, un-regenerate, hardened, perverted, reprobate, hypocritical, canting, pietistical, sanctimonious, unctuous, pharisaical, overrighteous, righteous over much, bigoted, fanatical, priest-ridden, under the mask of religion, under the cloak of religion, under the pretense of religion, under the form of religion, under the guise of religion, giovane santo diavolo vecchio.

Affectation

N affectation, affectedness, acting a part, pretense boasting, charlatanism, quackery, shallow profundity, pretension, airs, pedantry, purism, precisianism, euphuism, teratology, mannerism, simagree, grimace, conceit, foppery, dandyism, man millinery, coxcombry, puppyism, stiffness, formality, buckram, prudery, demureness, coquetry, mock modesty, minauderie, sentimentalism, mauvais honte, false shame, affector, performer, actor, pedant, pedagogue, doctrinaire, purist, euphuist, mannerist, grimacier, lump of affectation, precieuse ridicule, bas bleu, blue stocking, poetaster, prig, charlatan, petit maitre, flatterer, coquette, prude, puritan, affected, full of affectation, pretentious, pedantic, stilted, stagy, theatrical, big-sounding, ad captandum, canting, insincere, not natural, unnatural, self-conscious, maniere, artificial, overwrought, overdone, overacted, euphuist, stiff, starch, formal, prim, smug, demure, tire a quatre epingles, quakerish, puritanical, prudish, pragmatical, priggish, conceited, coxcomical, foppish, dandified, finical, finikin, mincing, simpering, namby-pamby, sentimental, conceit in weakest bodies strongest works.

Asceticism

N asceticism, puritanism, sabbatarianism, cynicism, austerity, total abstinence, nephalism, mortification, maceration, sackcloth and ashes, flagellation, penance, fasting, martyrdom, ascetic, anchoret, anchorite, martyr, Heautontimorumenos, hermit, puritan, sabbatarian, cynic, sanyasi, yogi, ascetic, austere, puritanical, cynical, over-religious, acerbic.